Box with improved resistance to closure panel opening

ABSTRACT

A box formed from a single cardboard sheet and having a closure panel from which there projects a lip insertable into the box interior between the box front panel and the edges adjacent thereto of two flaps projecting from the box side panels, the lip being separated from the closure panel by a folding line, at each end of which a cut is provided into which a flexible appendix projecting from each flap is inserted, with the free end of the flap making contact with the inner surface of the front panel in the box when closed.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a box formed of cardboard and having atleast one closure panel which, after the box has been closed, presentsimproved resistance to fraudulent panel opening.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

Many types of boxes formed from a single piece of punched andcrease-lined cardboard are known, these boxes having one or both endsclosed by a closure panel which has to be openable to enable the productcontained in the box to be freely extracted therefrom.

A lip projecting from the closure panel is separated from this panel bya folding line about which the lip can be rotated, to be then insertedinto the box in contact with the inner surface of the front main panelof the box when this in its closed state, with the closure panel restingon two flaps projecting from the ends of the two side main panels of thebox. At each end of the folding line which separates the closure panelfrom the respective flap there is provided a cut into which a profiledportion of the longitudinal side edge of the flap adjacent to said flapis inserted: the edge of the profiled portion of the flap is spaced(within the closed box) from the adjacent inner surface of the frontmain panel of the box, to enable said lip to be freely inserted andslide between said inner surface of the main panel and the edge of thelongitudinal profiled portion of the flap when the box is closed, toprevent the free edge of the lip from resting on the lateral portions ofthe flaps during box closure (which is achieved by automatic machinesoperating at high speed), to hence deform this lip.

When the box is to be opened, the side edges of the closure panel aregripped by two fingers and pulled outwards from the box to cause the lipto emerge from the box and consequently open the box. During thisoperation (commonly carried out to open the box) the closure panelbecomes curved (by the effect of the traction exerted thereon by the twofingers of the hand), hence displacing the lip projecting from ittowards the box interior and consequently causing the profiled portionsof the box flaps to penetrate into the respective cuts in the lipfolding line, so hindering opening of the box lid.

The same identical behaviour occurs when the box is closed and arelatively heavy product (for example a medicament bottle) is present init. When the closed box lying in an erect position is lifted laterallyby the hands, the weight of its contained product acts on the underlyingclosure panel, with the same aforedescribed effect.

As stated, in a closed box the profiled longitudinal flap edge facingthe lip of the closure panel is spaced from the inner surface of thefront main panel of the box. This represents a serious drawback becauseif, with the box closed, a thin resistant blade is inserted between theclosure panel and the flaps below it, the said lip can be thrust andmoved towards and against the inner surface of the box front panel andthe closure panel can then be rotated, to lift its lip out of the box,without this lip coming into contact with the adjacent edges of theflaps. The box can hence be fraudulently opened and its contents betampered with without this being detectable by the naked eye, becausethe box can be closed again, no portion of it having been deformed orbroken during its fraudulent opening. Similar boxes, all presenting theaforesaid drawbacks, are illustrated for example in U.S. Pat. No.4,890,789 and in the corresponding EP-B-0318750; in EP-B-0709293; inU.S. Pat. No. 6,860,421B2 and in the corresponding EP-B-11340684; inU.S. Pat. No. 6,923,315B2 and in the corresponding EP-B-1346922; inEP-A-1538090 and in further patents.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main object of the present invention is to provide a box, theclosure panel of which presents improved resistance to any accidental orfraudulent opening stress.

This and other objects are attained by a box formed from a single pieceof punched and crease-line cardboard or the like comprising:

-   -   four consecutive main panels and a secondary panel which        projects from the first main panel;    -   parallel longitudinal folding lines separating the main panels        and the secondary panel from each other,    -   a closure panel for at least one end of the box, projecting from        at least one end of one of the main panels and separated from it        by a first transverse folding line about which the closure panel        can rotate between an open position and respectively a closed        position of said end of the box;    -   a lip projecting from the free end of the closure panel and        separated from it by a second folding line, at each end of which        a cut is provided;    -   at least one flap, projecting from the end of at least one of        those main panels different from that from which said closure        panel projects in the same direction, said flap being separated        from the respective panel by a transverse folding line about        which the flap can rotate towards the box interior,        characterised in that from that longitudinal edge of said flap        furthest from said closure panel there projects an elongate        flexible appendix the free end of which is substantially aligned        with the folding line which separates that main panel from which        said flap projects, from the main panel consecutive to it, said        flexible appendix being positioned such as to be inserted, when        the box is closed, into the cut provided in the adjacent end of        said second folding line between said lip and the panel from        which the lip extends.

Preferably the sides of said flexible appendix are defined by cuts andrecesses provided in that flap of which the appendix forms part.

Again preferably, one of said recesses of the flap extends from thelongitudinal edge of the flap to the folding line separating it from themain panel with which it is rigid.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The structure and characteristics of the box according to the inventionwill be more apparent from the ensuing non-limiting description of oneembodiment thereof, given with reference to the accompanying drawings,in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a punched and crease-lined cardboard sheet forforming the box;

FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. 1 but with some portions of the cardboardsheet folded onto other portions thereof;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are perspective representations of an end portion of thealready finished box, with its panel and flaps completely open and,respectively, with just its flaps folded towards the box interior;

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are perspective views of a top portion of a finishedbox, shown in the position which it assumes during closure of its lid,in the position in which the lid is completely closed and, respectively,in the position at the commencement of lid opening;

FIG. 8 is a section through the closed box, on the line 8-8 of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will firstly be made to FIG. 1 which shows a plan view of apunched and crease-lined cardboard sheet comprising four main panels 1-4and a secondary panel 5 projecting from the first main panel, thesepanels being consecutive and separated from each other by longitudinalfolding lines (crease lines) 6-9.

A closure panel 10 projects from both ends of the panel 1, while flaps11, 12 project from both ends of the two panels 2, 4, and a panel 13projects from both ends of the panel 3. The panels 10-13 are separatedfrom the respective main panels 1-4 by transverse folding lines 14-17.

Finally, it can be seen that a lip 18 projects from the closure panel 10and is separated from it by a transverse folding line 19, at each end ofwhich a cut 20 is provided.

The box described up to this point is substantially identical to thoseshown in the drawings of all the prior patents cited in the introductionto the present patent specification, in particular in U.S. Pat. No.4,890,789.

In a first step of its production, a thin strip of glue is applied alongthe free edge of the panels 13 (FIG. 1), these panels 13 are foldedabout the respective folding lines 16 and are pressed against therespective panel 3, on which they become fixed by the glue (FIG. 2), athin strip of glue 22 is applied in proximity to the free edge of themain panel 4, and the secondary panel 5 is turned onto the main panel 1shown in FIG. 2.

The cardboard sheet is then folded about the folding line 8 so that thestrip of glue 22 rests on the outer surface of the panel 5; this step isnot shown in the drawings as it is obvious and totally similar to thatillustrated in the already cited prior patents. Box production is henceterminated and it is ready to be shaped (by the firm using the box) intothe form shown in FIG. 3, with a lid and closure panel completely opento enable the box to receive the product which it is to contain.

A fundamental characteristic of the present invention is that from thatlongitudinal edge of each of the flaps 11, 12 which is furthest from theclosure panel 10 in the box when made up, there projects an elongateflexible appendix 23 the free end of which—when the box is made up andwith the flaps closed (FIGS. 4 and 8), i.e. folded towards the boxinterior—is substantially aligned with the folding lines 16 whichseparate the panels 13 from the panel 13, which means that the free edgeof the appendices 23 grazes or is in light contact with the innersurface of the panels 13 which are fixed onto the inner surface of themain panel 3, with which they form a single piece.

The elongate flexible appendices 23 are defined by cuts and recessesprovided in the flaps, in particular by a recess 24 provided in eachflap at the folding line 15, 17 which separates it from the main panelfrom which it projects.

The position and size of each elongate appendix 23 are such that, whenthe box is closed (FIGS. 6 and 8), they become inserted into theadjacent cut 20 provided in the folding line 19, so greatly increasingthe resistance of the corresponding box closure panel to opening. Tounderstand this, reference should firstly be made to FIG. 4 in which thebox lid 10, 18 is open, whereas the flaps 11, 12 are folded towards thebox interior, with the free edges of the appendices 23 very close to orin light contact with the adjacent (inner) surface of the panel 13. Whenthe closure panel is rotated about the folding line 14 to close the boxlid, at a certain point the free edge of the lip 18 comes into contactwith the upper surface (with respect to the drawings) of the appendices23, causing them to flex downwards (FIG. 5) and hence enable the lip 18to slide into the box without undergoing deformation, into contact withthe inner surface of the panel 13 on one side and in contact with thefree ends of the appendices 23 on the other side.

On termination of the rotation and downward movement of the panel 10 andlip 18, the free ends of the appendices 23 hence lie positioned in frontof the corresponding cuts 20 in the folding lines, returning elasticallyto their original flat position and extending through these cuts, withthe free edge of the appendices returning into contact with the opposingsurface of the panel 13 (FIGS. 6 and 8), to hence rigidly retain the boxlid in its closed position.

When the box lid is to be reopened, the upward movement of the panel 10together with the lip 18 drags the appendix 23 upwards so that it curvesupwards (FIG. 7) until the free end of this appendix emerges and becomesfree of the cut 20 in the folding line 19.

It is important to note that the lip 18 cannot slide freely between thesurface of the panel 13 and the free end of the appendices 23, sopreventing the box lid from being able to be opened fraudulently using athin blade inserted between the panel 10 and the flaps 11,12: in thisrespect, if those cuts, holes or knurlings represented in EP-B-0709293,in U.S. Pat. No. 6,860,421B2, in EP 1538090A and in many further patentswere present in the panel and/or in the respective lip, the appendiceswould present a resistance to the upward movement of the lip 18, socausing partial or total detachment of this lip from the panel.

It is also important to note that the presence of the panels 13 foldedand fixed to the inside of the main panel 3 prevents this panel frombeing able to be fraudulently pushed outwards (using a blade insertedinto the box) to cause the appendices 23 to escape from the cuts 20 andhence enable the panel 10 with its lip 18 to be raised upwards.

It is worth repeating that in known boxes the outer longitudinal ends ofthe flaps always remain spaced from the opposing surface of the frontpanel adjacent to them, to enable the box lid to be closed without thelip of this lid interfering with the flaps (which do not have flexibleelongate appendices able to be curved by the lip and be inserted in allcases and is under all conditions into the cuts provided at the ends ofthe folding lines from which these lips extend).

1. A box with improved resistance to closure panel opening, comprising:four consecutive main panels and a secondary panel which projects fromthe first main panel; parallel longitudinal folding lines separating themain panels and the secondary panel from each other; a closure panel forat least one end of the box, projecting from at least one end of one ofthe main panels and separated from it by a first transverse folding lineabout which the closure panel can rotate between an open position andrespectively a closed position of said end of the box; a lip projectingfrom the free end of the closure panel and separated from it by a secondfolding line, at each end of which a cut is provided; at least one flapprojecting from the end of at least one of those main panels differentfrom that from which said closure panel projects in the same direction,said flap being separated from the respective panel by a transversefolding line about which the flap can rotate towards the box interior,wherein from that longitudinal edge of said flap furthest from saidclosure panel there projects an elongate flexible appendix the free endof which is substantially aligned with the folding line which separatesthat main panel from which said flap projects, from the main panelconsecutive to it, said flexible appendix being positioned such as to beinserted, when the box is closed, into the cut provided in the adjacentend of said second folding line between said lip and the panel fromwhich the lip extends.
 2. A box as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sidesof said flexible appendix are defined by cuts and recesses provided inthat flap of which the appendix forms part.
 3. A box as claimed in claim2, wherein one of said recesses of the flap extends from thelongitudinal edge of the flap to the folding line separating it from themain panel with which it is rigid.